Official email from the big programme is that it's business as usual. Apparently AF family group / business have been told and agreed to / with that things should not change and things should not affect the tight timescales for an international event.

They can't and won't say anything else . The things a catastrophic mess .

Perhaps Qatar not paying was a strategic decision....

They're on 3-4 of our projects but Expo is the one we're least concerned about.

What about that one in DCH ?

There's quite a few UAE companies had the their pants pulled down in Qatar .

Not sure to be honest.
The one on the palm couldn't be more of a trouble project if it tried so whether they stay or go I think is now irrelevant.

Sounds like my kind of project.

So you make your fortune off others' misfortunes?

Not really. Most investments in MENA across the entire industry are underwater.

I’d love to work in a hedge fund buying distressed stuff though.

It's nearly finished, in fact, it's being dragged across the line...

These are not unlucky or unfortunate projects, they are badly conceived, planned, financed and then of course badly executed.

They deserve to be pulled apart by vulture funds or the like.

What is the biggest factor in determining whether a project is successful or not?

In my experience it's interfering clients who keep changing their minds during the design and construction stages. Too common out here.

I would have to short your fund (for the interim) but as a side question why would you buy distressed assets in GCC - the lack of transparency and accounting practises alone would put me off

Poor resourcing.